LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1872, 4 October 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho courtesy which the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) has always received from tho Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) and different Ministers was placed on "record by His Worship at Thursday's meeting of tho City Council. When representing the interests of tho City, said tho Mayor, ho had always been well received by the Primo Minister, and bo wanted it to go forth that tho council did not bear any feoling of resentment against tho Government because the Prime Minister had (through unavoidable circumstances) been recently unable to meet a committee from tho oouncil. Other councillors agreed that the Primo Minister had given good reasons for being unablo to meet tho committee at the time appointed._ Subsequently in answer to a question by Cr. McKonzio, tho Mayor stated that tho committeo .appointed still intended to wait on tho Primo Minister _as directed by resolution of tho council.

Our defence system was mentioned by tho Anglican Bishop of Waiapu (Dr. Avorill) in addressing his Synod yesterday. He said: "Whatever may bo our attitude towards tlio perplexing question of war, wo can hardly fail to realise that tho training and the disciplining of the youth of Now Zealand is to bo commended and supported altogether apart, from tlio primary purpose of tho movement. To inculcate in our citizens a sense of individual responsibility for the well-being of the whole community, and to teach them that discipline, obedience to authority, respect and willingness to give as well as to got (even if the giving demands some self-sncri-fico of them), are alone consistent with truo manliness and patriotism, must tend towards strengthening tho-moral fibre of tho nation and creating a nobler ideal of life and duty."

"Thero is every prospect of a Rood produco year," said an Auckland bank manager, to a "Herald" reporter, in commenting on the largo volumo of exports from tho Auckland Province Inst month. "The output will be large' and pricos remunerative. This is bound to have an effcct on tho money market, unless tlie effect is swamped by heavy imiwts. Tho prospects are for money becoming more plentiful, but I do not know whether it will becomo any chcapor nB there is a plentiful demand for it. Enthusiasm for Rugby led a city taxidriver into trouble recently. Ho drove up to Athletic Park, decided to take a peep at tlio match which was m progress, got interested in tho gamo, forgot nil about his vehicle, and came out fatcr in the gamo to discover that a policeman had noted Ins number for tlio purpose of prosecuting him under tlio city by-law which forbids leaving unattended vehicles in tho ihorouclifaros. Yesterday morning tlio Magistrate s Court fined him 10s. A determined attempt is being mado in New Zealand rowing circles to limit tlio amnteur definition in rowing-by providing that an oarsman must not onlv bo an amatour in rowing, but in all otlior branches of sport. This is tlio Now South Wales definition, and tho plea is mado tlint until Now Zealand adopSs this she is debarred from competing against Australian States. Twice, however, the proposal has been thrown out by tlio delegates to the New Zealand AmaUur Rowing Association, but, not to bo baffled, its supporters liavo put it again on the order paper to como beforo the annual moating of tlio Association in Wellington on October 18. The Canterbury Rowing Association discussed tho question on Wednosdav, and decided that as only a fow montli6 ago tho mnjority of tlio Canterbury clubs had decided against the proposal, to voto against it when it ogam coiuob up/

An absent-minded ehootist who carried a loaded gun into Johnsonvillo at tho end of a ilay'B shooting found himself in trouble, because tho guu unfortunately went off in tho town. No one was nit, and when the defendant appeared in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday ho was advised to bo more careful in futuro and was ordered to' pay tho costs of the proceedings.

It is not definitely known yot who* ther tbo adjourned tramway inquiry ordered by the Minister of Publia Works, will be resumed on Monday.

On opening a case of goods which arrived in the Dominion from England bv the ltuapehu, Messrs. M'Kay and. Sons, a Greymouth firm, had an -unpleasant surprise. Tho ease should havo contained a consignment of ladies' silk blouses, stockings, and underwear, butl 111© blouses and stockings wero not there. The underclothing had apparently been taken out and thrown back again as unsuitable loot. Tlio work or the depredators was very neatly done, there'.'being no external evidenco to show that tho caso had beon tampered with -in any way. • Tho value of the goods stolen was about £18.

Thb' Dominion's Boy Scout column' haß been unavoidably held over until Monday on account of tho pressure on' space.

The shortage of water is becoming a serious mattor ill many parts of tho Waikato. Grass is already being burnt up, and streams and springs are low. Tho only thing to, save the position is a good downfall at an early date; otherwise tho dairy industry will bo seriously hampered. The rainfall for September at Hamilton was 2.35 in., and tho total fo.- tho year so far 28.19 in., against 3ii.3Sin. and 39.34 in. for tho same periods in 1911 and 1912 respectively. 'Che average fall in September for 13 vcars was 5.15 in., and is tho lowest fall since 1900.

Among tho business transacted at tho Bitting of the Native Land Court nt To Araroa, Poverty Bay, was tho confirmation of tho gift by tho natives of tho sito for tho now hospital at To Araroa. Judge Jones congratulated tbo Natives on their generosity, and stated

that tho building would stand out aa a mark of what tho two races had accomplished togother for humanitarian purposos. Several prominent Natives stated that they hoped to seo before long a large building erected, which would bo opeu alike to pakchaa and Natives.

Nine of the 18 medical students wild have been assisting the Health Depart* mbiit in connection with the epidemic, were to leave Auckland on Thursday. Two are still in the Mangonui district, another is at Tauranga, whilo one rfill remain in Auckland for the time being. The committee to which the Scienca and Art Bill dealing with tho constitution of tho Dominion Museum and Art Gallery was. referred reported tho measuro to tho House of Represents tivca yesterday with a recommendation that it be allowed to proceed with certain minor amendments. A new subclause (4a) has been added providing that "there shall be a Dominion scientific art and historical library in _ tho city of Wellington within or adjoining the Dominion Museum." An amendment to the constitution of tho board lias also been added. It is now proposed that the board shall consist of the Minister of Internal Affairs, tlio Director of tho Dominion Museum, tha president of the Board of Governors, and'five members appointed by the Government. Another amendment provides that it shall also bo tho duty of tha board to adviso tho Government as to any expenditure which can bo incurred with benefit to tho Dominion in scientific and historical research and tlio development of scicnco and art. Tlio provisions in regard to tho printing anui publishing of tlio transactions of tha New. Zealand Institute havo been deloted by tho committeo. ' Charles Stewart Parnoll. tho famous Irish politician, provided tho subject of an addresß dohvered by Mr. P. Galvin boforo tho Celtic Club last night. Mr. Galvin traced very ; interestingly the life, especially tlio political career, of Parnell. Ho mentioned that when Parnoll visited tho United States ho was permitted to address the House of Representatives at Washington, a favour that had previously been granted only to Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot, nnd Dr. John Angland, tlio CatholiO Archbishop of North and South Carolina. Parnoll had not been ong in tha British Parliament beforo ho realised that tho rules and procedure of tho Houso could be utilised to block business. and obstruction ho reduced to ft fine' art. Parnell, tlio lecturer said, must bo regarded as 0110 of the greatest men that Ireland bad produced, Ho quoted tho Hon. Janies Bryce, lOrmerly British Ambassador at Vi ashington, as showing that Parnell was littlo inferior to O'Connell, nnd was a greater political leader than Henry Grattan. He quotcd Gladstone's saying that Parnell was an ihtellectual phenomenon.. whose word in all negotiations could bo depended on, aud who had a wonderful power tor getting at the salient poult of any, measuro before tbo Houso. Tlio Rev. A. W. Brougli, of Erode, South India, and the Rev. G. J- »• liams, tho Australasian organising agent—this year's deputation on behall of tlio London Missionary Society—are to preach at tho Congregational churches to-morrow. On Monday evening thoy will speak at the Courtonay Placo Church, 011 Tuesday afternoon at a ladies' mooting to bo held at tlio Terrace Church, and 111 the evening at tho annual mooting of the Wellington Auxiliary, also at tho Terraco Church.